2013: The Year Of Viral Android And A Kindle Phone?

In 2013 we’re expecting the Android OS to increase its market presence this year by widening its deployment across other consumer electronic sectors, such as smart TVs and satellite navigation.

Microsoft and BlackBerry are expected to make big comebacks thanks to patent protection and new devices. We’ll see many changes in 2013; however one thing we expect to remain constant is the fast pace at which mobile innovation is running.

1. Price pressures ensure the survival of the feature phone
Although the featurephone category will continue to play second fiddle to the smartphone in 2013, price pressures will secure its survival for now.

2. NFC deployments concentrate on information sharing
So far NFC technology has been synonymous with mobile payments. However, in 2013 WDS expects to see NFC deployments start to re-focus on the sharing of information.

3. Mobile operators finally pose a real challenge to fixed line players
4G proposes theoretical speeds five times faster than 3G. As such in 2013 WDS expects to see 4G become a feasible, and potentially preferable, alternative to fixed line broadband.

4. Android goes viral
In 2013, WDS expects the mobile OS to go viral and occupy a whole range of ‘smart’ electronics, such as smart TVs and satellite navigation.

5. The beginning of the end for patent wars
It appears that Apple may not continue its legal war against Google’s Android. Samsung also signaled a less antagonizing approach going forward, saying, “We strongly believe it is better when companies compete fairly in the marketplace, rather than in court. WDS expects 2013 to be the year that the bitter patent feuds between smartphone rivals will cool.

6. Lingering patent litigation benefits Windows Phone OS
For those OEMs deeply invested in Android, the need to diversify and include a secondary OS in their line-up now seems very prudent as a way of avoiding litigation. Microsoft offers patent protection to Windows Phone licensees and this could help it secure a place as the third major wireless OS in 2013.

8. The Kindle Phone enters the market7. HTML5 web apps evolve
With the tablet continuing to be the most prominent high-growth category device, we’ll see a rapid acceleration in the adoption of cross-platform HTML5 web apps, a safer development investment.

With a plethora of existing media content, 2013 could be the year that Amazon enters the smartphone category with a sister offering to its popular Kindle tablet. Amazon’s hardware efforts in the tablet category seem to be serving the launch of a mobile phone very well.

9. BlackBerry bounces back
In 2013, WDS expects RIM to increase device shipments. In Q3 of 2012, RIM’s global smartphone market share fell for the sixth consecutive quarter to stand at just 4 percent. However, in 2013 WDS expects RIM’s fortunes to take a turn for the better following the launch of its much anticipated BB10 OS.

10. Security threats put enterprise vendors on the mobile map
In a post-PC era of multi-platform computing, smartphones are an increasingly common target for cybercrime. WDS does not expect mobile security threats to become a mass-market threat in 2013, but the issue will be prevalent enough for enterprise security vendors to stake their claim in the post-PC market place.

Tim Deluca-Smith is vice president of Marketing at WDS, a Xerox company providing managed services

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